James Gunn Clarifies Nathan Fillion's (Non-)Role in 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'

Nathan Fillion is a fanboy favorite, thanks in large part to his starring role on Joss Whedon’s much-beloved sci-fi TV series Firefly. He also has a long-standing relationship with Guardians of the Galaxy’s writer/director James Gunn, having headlined his 2006 monster movie Slither alongside Guardians’ Michael Rooker. Fillion even made a brief cameo in Guardians as an alien. Now, he’s shared a photo on Instagram of himself, in costume, on the set of Vol. 2 — but as his post makes clear, you won’t see this moment in the final cut.

In the above snapshot, Fillion sports some fake locks and a ridiculous outfit while manning the cockpit of a spaceship. His accompanying message suggests it’s from a scene that didn’t make it into the theatrical version of the film:

“From a scene you won’t see in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. Is the movie still spectacular without it? Yes.”

Earlier, speculation based on behind-the-scenes photos from the set fueled rumors that Fillion might turn up in Guardians 2 as Wonder Man (a.k.a., Simon Williams), who in the Marvel universe has been, among other things, a member of the Avengers and an actor. Fillion’s Instagram post seemed to be supporting evidence — and spurred fans to wonder why his role had been cut.

This morning, Gunn took to Twitter to clear it all up. When asked “Why @JamesGunn? Why would you cut @NathanFillion’s #GotGVol2 cameo?!” The director responded: